Shattered Soul
by Hermionegirl4ever
Summary: PreHogwarts. AU. Severitus story. 10 year old Harry Potter is abused by his relatives, until none other than Severus Snape comes to save him. But can Harry be healed? Updated!
1. Shocking News

**This story is before Harry's first year at Hogwarts. AU. This is a Severitus story, so nothing that happened in the Harry Potter books will happy in this story. It will mostly focus on Harry's relationship with Snape. Yes, it's the typical 'Harry is abused and Snape saves him' story.**

**Rated R for child abuse, rape, and inappropriate language.**

**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. **

**I hereby present you with Chapter 1 of Shattered Soul.**

It had been a month since school ended. Since there was nothing else to do in the castle during the summer, Severus Snape sat in his office correcting final exams when suddenly Albus Dumbledore's head popped in the fire.

"Ah, Severus. I was wondering whether you could come to my office? I have a mission for you," Dumbledore smiled at him brightly.

Severus looked up grudgingly and said, "Yes, sir," and flooed to Albus Dumbledore's office once Albus's head was no longer there. He wondered what crazy mission Albus had in mind. It was not a secret that Albus's ideas were sometimes…odd.

Dumbledore gestured for him to sit, and Severus sat on the comfy chair watching Dumbledore intently.

After a few moments of silence, Dumbledore said, "I have something I must ask of you. But first I must ask that you listen to what I have to say. It may be hard to believe what I am about to tell you, but I assure you it is nothing but the truth."

Dumbledore sighed before continuing.

"Eleven years ago, Lily Evans gave birth to a boy. This boy—Harry Potter—is not who you think he is."

"He is the son of my enemy. Therefore, he is exactly who I think he is," Severus retorted.

"But here, my friend, you are wrong," was Dumbledore's grave reply. When Severus gave him an angry, yet confused look, Dumbledore resigned to go on.

"First of all, let me tell you that I know of the relationship you had with Lily," Dumbledore revealed. severus gawked at him.

"How did you…" Severus began, unable to finish his question.

"Lily told me," was his simple reply. "But then you became a Death Eater, something I am sure you regret to this day, and Lily decided to go out with James Potter. They then got engaged, and soon were married. This all took place a very short time after you and Lily broke up."

"Tell me something I don't know," Severus growled. He still had feelings for the Potters; love for Lily, hatred for James.

Dumbledore continued as if he hadn't heard him. "Soon Lily announced she was pregnant. James was extremely happy with the news, but Lily had a secret. She came to me, knowing I would never tell James. Using a very fashionable sort of paternity test that Muggles use, we found that James Potter was not the baby's father."

Dumbledore looked at Severus to see if he understood. Severus obviously hadn't, because he was still gaping at Dumbledore with the same confused look.

"Lily Evans had only ever been with one other man at the vicinity of that time. When she gave birth to her child, however, I put a charm on the boy to make him take his features after his father, so that James wouldn't suspect anything was wrong. But now that both of the boy's parents are dead, he is staying with Lily's sister, Petunia Dursley, and her family. It is necessary that he be with blood relatives of his for his own protection. Now, however, I think it is time to give him the most powerful protection of all. The love of a father."

Severus was only just starting to catch up. "I…"

Dumbledore smiled weakly at him. "You are Harry Potter's father, Severus."

Severus's mouth hung open. When he came to his senses, his mask fell and the angry façade of Severus Snape appeared. "This is absolutely ridiculous! Complete rubbish! I can't be the boy's father, he's James's son!" he yelled.

"Severus, this is the truth. I can only say how sorry I am for hiding this information from you for so long. I thought it was for the best, but it seems to me since Harry is facing his first year at Hogwarts next year it would probably be for the best to tell you now."

"AND WHAT EXACTLY AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS INFORMATION?" Snape's voice echoed. "AM I SUPPOSED TO ADOPT THIS KID AND ACT LIKE EVERYTHING WILL BE OK? I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO RAISE A CHILD!"

"Severus, please calm down. All I am asking you to do is to go check in on the boy. Make sure he is ok. If he is, and you feel you have no reason to take him with you, you may leave him at his Aunt's care. It is you're choice as to what you do with him. All I ask is that you make sure he is ok."

Sneverus stared in disbelief at Dumbledore, but then succumbed and asked, "Where does he live?"

"Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Winging, Surrey," Dumbledore replied satisfactorily.

Severus nodded and flooed to Hogsmeade. He then Apparated to Harry Potter's residence, and hoped he could leave that place before he even arrived.

Severus Snape then reappeared at Number 4, Privet Drive. He sighed heavily and prepared himself for what he was about to do. But then, he thought, he didn't _have_ to reveal himself to the kid. He could pretend to be some social worker who is doing random checks on houses, and ask to see the children living in the house.

He walked briskly to the house, willing to get this over and done with as soon as possible. He knocked on the door and heard muffled yells of a man. The door opened to reveal a very fat, gruff looking man.

"Yes?" the man who Severus presumed to be Mr. Dursley said.

"Good evening, sir. My name is Jim Cohen." He came up with the first non-wizard name he could think of. "I am a social worker and have come to check on this household and do an evaluation. I assure you it will only take a few minutes, but I will ask of you to present me with the children living in this house," he said, hoping the man would believe him.

"You said you were a social worker, eh?" Vernon Dursley looked at him suspiciously.

Severus nodded.

"Very well…come in. Dudley, come here please."

A blond, very fat kid came to face Severus Snape. Severus did the best he could to keep a straight face and asked, "Young Dursley, are you content with the way your family treats you?"

Dudley nodded and smiled mischievously.

"Do you feel mistreated at all?"

Dudley shook his head no.

Vernon Dursley said something that sounded like "Hmph" but it was unintelligible.

Severus pretended to be inspecting the boy, and then looked around. "Do you mind if I take a look around the house?"

Before the other could reply, Severus was already looking around. He walked through the kitchen, the living room, and finally walked upstairs to search the bedrooms, while Vernon and Dudley followed him. He saw an apparent guest room, a room full of toys which he assumed to be Dudley's, a room full of broken toys and untouched books, and a master bedroom. So far there was no sign that another boy was living in the house.

He eyed Vernon Dursley suspiciously and asked, "Is Dudley the only child you have here?"

Vernon's eyes widened for a moment, but he soon recovered and answered, "Yes, he is my only child."

Snape grew angry at the lie, and decided that he should confront the man.

"I happen to know that you have another child living here, with the name of Harry Potter. I do not know why it is you are hiding him, but I demand to see him at once!" Severus was suddenly feeling protective of this boy, without even realizing it.

"I have no such kid living in my house. The only child I have here is Dudley."

What struck Snape as odd, however, was that Dursley was inadvertently sneaking glances towards…a _locked_ cupboard?

'_The hell with avoiding the use of magic_,' Snape thought angrily and took his wand out from his pocket. Vernon Dursley's eyes were wide with fear when he realized what that  
"stick" was.

Snape mustered up all the self control he had and growled, "_Alohamora_!" The cupboard door unlocked and Snape couldn't help but gasp. A young boy, seeming to be about 10 years old, sat on a very small cot inside a completely dark cupboard. The only light that was on the boy was the light coming from the hallway they were standing in, but Snape could see several bruises on the boy's face. He was extremely skinny; Snape was sure the boy must be badly malnourished.

"Mr. Potter…could you come out here please? My name is Jim Cohen. I wish to speak with you for a few minutes," Snape tried his best to stay calm.

The small boy looked terrified. He seemed to look somewhere behind Snape…he was focusing on something that scared him. And when Snape looked behind his back, he saw Vernon Dursley giving the boy the most dangerous look, obviously telling him that if he said anything he would pay for it later.

The boy slowly got up and tried to hide the pain he was in, but Snape saw him wince nonetheless. Harry Potter came out of his cupboard and Snape looked at him, astonished and very concerned. What kind of people _are_ these people, to hurt a child like that? The boy looked badly beaten, with bruises covering not only his face but also his arms and neck; Snape was positive he had bruises hidden under his clothing, but decided to deal with that later. What he was most worried about is that the boy looked almost dead. His eyes were dull and were looking down at the floor. He looked like he was barely standing up and his breathing was erratic.

Severus took a step closer, but Harry took a step back and leaned back onto the wall.

Suddenly Vernon Dursley found his voice in himself and spoke to his defense, "The boy had a fight with some kids at school. I can assure you we took care of that situation."

Severus didn't even bother to look at the Dursley. "Is this true?" he asked Harry. Harry looked at Vernon, then back at Snape, and nodded his head, then quickly averted his eyes back to the floor.

Severus, not knowing what else to do, caught the boy's eyes and used Legilimency. The boy was clearly lying.

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm going to have to take Harry away for further investigation. I highly doubt those injuries were caused from a fight with other schoolboys, so unless you want me to cause you severe damage and call the police on you I suggest you allow me to take this boy," Severus said dangerously.

Vernon Dursley, instead of succumbing, grabbed Harry by the scruff of the neck and held him tightly. Harry didn't dare to make a sound, but Severus could tell Harry was hurting, and felt that protective rush go through him again.

"THIS BOY ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BLOODY BARGE INTO MY HOUSE AND DECIDE TO TAKE AWAY MY NEPHEW. THIS IS MY HOUSE AND MY LIFE AND I WILL NOT ALLOW A FREAK LIKE YOU TO INTERFERE!" Vernon was now holding Harry by his arm, and Severus was surprised to see how thin his arm actually is.

Severus was furious. '_The wards be damned_,' He thought as he silently took them down. He grabbed Harry by his other arm and Apparated away. The last thing he heard before they Apparated was Vernon Dursley's scream of rage and Harry Potter's cry of pain.

**You like? You Hate? I know it's a bit cliché but I really wanted to try to write this type of story…so please let me know what you think! My other stories aren't getting that many reviews, neither good nor bad, but I know a lot of people read them…so please review. I really appreciate each and every review.**


	2. A Broken Child

**Wow! I have never received that many reviews for one chapter! (This is a lot for me!) I'm so glad everyone liked this chapter. Sorry if this took a long time to update, but I hope it pays off for you guys. I'm kind of going with the flow with this story, so I have absolutely no idea how angsty it might get for Harry…depends how evil my mind gets...Haha I'll try to be nice though. **

**Warning: Rape, abuse, and some very colorful language may be presented.**

**Chapter Summary: Severus learns about Harry's living with the Dursleys and is absolutely horrified at the things Harry had gone through. **

Chapter 2

Severus Snape and Harry Potter landed in the living room of Snape Manor a few seconds later. Harry stumbled, but Severus's strong arms caught him before he fell to the floor. Harry, however, cried out in pain again and released himself of Severus's grip. He fell to the floor and crawled backwards, away from the strange man wearing a black cloak. The second he hit the floor, however, his sobs of pain grew louder and Severus was at loss of what to do.

"Please…I need to go back there…Uncle Vernon will be mad, please! Just take me back there…" his sobs grew even more unintelligible.

Severus stood there, not knowing what to say or do. But the boy's reasoning was ridiculous. Did he really wish to go back there?

"Mr. Potter, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to go back there. I have my suspicions as to where you received those bruises, and if I am correct, which I think I am, there is no way I am letting you go back to those Muggles."

Harry was terrified and confused. Muggles? He didn't have the energy to ponder as to what that means, but now he had bigger matters to dwell on. What was this man going to do to him? He _needed_ to go back.

"Mr. Cohen, Sir…Please, you don't understand. I n-need to go back there right now," Harry tried to convince the man, but knew it wasn't going to work before he even finished his sentence.

Snape looked confused for a second, but then remembered the boy didn't know his real name. "Firstly, my name isn't really Jim Cohen. It was a cover story in order to save you from your Uncle. My real name is Severus Snape. Furthermore I thought I made it quite clear that you weren't going back there."

Harry dropped his gaze to the floor. Severus hesitated, but then took a step closer to Harry, who was still sitting on the floor, knees drawn up to his chest. When Harry backed away once more, Severus said, "Please, Mr. Potter. I have no intention of hurting you, I only want to heal your injuries. I promise I will be gentle," he said, hoping the boy would trust him enough to allow Severus to help him.

Harry looked scared, but nodded just the same. But then, something the man said didn't make any sense. 'Heal his injuries?' What on earth was that man talking about?

When Severus was finally a foot away from Harry, Harry looked into the man's black eyes. Severus saw the boy's emerald green eyes, filled with haunted memories and agony, and his heart clenched.

"Can you walk to the couch?" Severus asked, wanting the boy to be comfortable.

Harry nodded and made to stand up, but then received a dizzy spell out of nowhere and fell to his knees. Severus looked at him sympathetically and hoped the boy would tolerate what he was about to do next.

Severus picked Harry up in his strong arms and carried him over to the couch. At first the boy tried to resist, but one look in those black eyes told Harry that this man wasn't going to hurt him like his uncle did.

When Severus made to lift Harry's shirt to check him over, the boy curled up into a ball and threw his hands over his head protectively. Severus sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. Instead, he said, "I will be right back," and went to his laboratory. He took out a Dreamless Sleep potion and poured it into a glass, adding ingredients to make it look like water. He mixed it in with some hot chocolate to dissolve the after-taste, and brought it back to Harry.

"Here," he said, "this will make you feel better." He felt bad giving him a potion without his knowledge, but he knew the boy wouldn't let him examine this injuries and he needed to take care of them before they became even more severe.

The boy looked at the hot chocolate in the cup suspiciously, but drank it nonetheless. "Thank you, Sir," he said, before he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Severus wasted no time in examining the boy. He waved his wand and Harry's shirt and pants were taken off, leaving him in his boxer shorts. "Sweet Merlin," Severus breathed as he saw the damage done to this boy's body. There were bruises all over his stomach and chest. His legs had bruises all over as well. There was barely anywhere on his body that wasn't a shade of blue or green. The abuse had obviously been going on for a long time, because the bruises were at different stages of healing.

Severus, not wanting to somehow wake the boy from his sleep, turned the boy over gently onto his side. His shock was gone and his anger was soon surfacing as he saw that the boy's back was covered in welts, as if someone had taken a belt and whipped him constantly. His back was almost as scarred as Mad-Eye Moody's face, Severus pondered and shivered involuntarily at the thought.

Severus tapped his wand gently at the boy's back and muttered a Latin incantation. A few seconds later, a scroll of parchment fell out of the air onto the floor. Severus took a lot at the boy's medical report and gasped once more. The boy had three broken ribs, and a sprained ankle, as well as a severe concussion. It also said his magical aura had been…_dampened_? Severus gawked at the word. The only ways a magical aura could be dampened are if the person used very Dark magic or if something had been done to destroy the person's innocence. Since the boy was merely ten years old and did not possess a wand, Severus quickly eliminated the first option. But that meant…

The boy must have been raped.

He had no way of confirming these suspicions without asking the boy directly, but knew he wouldn't get a direct answer. At least not right now. The boy would probably go as far as denying it.

Severus felt his heart shatter into millions of pieces. How can someone do something so evil to a child so pure and innocent? But then a small voice inside Severus's head said, _'Pure? Innocent? This is James Potter's son that you're talking about.'_

But despite his previous adversary, he couldn't help but pity the boy. And he couldn't help but want to do everything in his ability to help this boy. Even if this boy was Harry Potter.

Severus resigned to healing the broken ribs first. He didn't understand how Harry had been moving at all in this predicament. He mended the ribs, and used a charm to put a firm warp around them. They would need time to properly heal.

He then took care of the boy's ankle, and prepared a Pain Relieving potion in case the boy had a headache from his concussion when he woke up. He then dressed the boy, again, using his wand, and sat exhaustedly on the armchair next to Harry. He knew the bruises wouldn't fade for a while, but at least everything else would heal fairly quickly. The boy slept so peacefully and looked so vulnerable, and Severus found himself wondering when was the last time that boy had gotten a decent night's sleep without being terrified of being beaten to death.

And then it struck him. This was his _son_. Suddenly, anger like no other swelled up inside him. Some bastard has molested his son. Had raped him, had hit him and whipped him repeatedly. Someone had hurt his son, and he knew nothing of it. He needed to talk to Albus Dumbledore.

Making sure the Dreamless Sleep potion wasn't about to wear off anytime soon, he then flooed over to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore, who had been writing a letter at the time, did not look surprised to see Severus there.

"Ah, Severus, my boy, how did it go?" Dumbledore smiled at the man.

"How did it go? HOW DID IT GO?" Severus tried to calm himself down before going on. "Albus, the boy had been abused by his relatives! They keep him locked inside a small cupboard under the stairs, he looks almost dead! He's terrified out of his mind! I don't even know what to do with him, because he won't let me go near him! Have you not checked up on him, not once since you left him there? Did you not check to see how those Muggles were treating him?" Severus was livid. He could not understand how it would not cross the man's mind to check up on the boy's family before dropping him off like some pizza delivery.

Dumbledore looked astonished. Whatever he expected to hear, it wasn't this.

"What did you say?" Dumbledore said and kept gawking. "Harry was…abused? By his own relatives? That can't be. Why would they do that?"

"I don't know why they would do that, but the fact is that they did and they left me a broken child, Albus. I will make them pay."

Dumbledore's face was pale, his eyes cold. "Do not worry, Severus. You won't be the only one who will have the honor of giving them what they deserve. I never would have thought…" Dumbledore trailed off, suddenly feeling ashamed of himself. He had failed Harry.

"Where is he right now, Severus? You didn't leave him there, did you?" Dumbledore asked, apprehension evident in his voice.

"What kind of imbecile do you think I am? I wouldn't just leave him there, not in a million years!" Severus answered angrily.

"I'm assuming he is at Snape Manor right now, sleeping?"

"Yes, Albus, I gave him a Dreamless Sleep potion, so he shouldn't be waking for a while. Otherise I wouldn't have left a child unsupervised. I'm not that cold."

Dumbledore nodded apologetically, then asked, "So what have you decided to do regarding to the boy?"

"I want full custody of him. He will never go back there again, not if I have a say in the matter."

Dumbledore smiled at him and said, "Very well. I will arrange for the papers tomorrow morning."

Meanwhile, Harry woke up from the best sleep he'd remembered having in quite a long time. He looked around and noticed that no one was there. He found that somewhat comforting, as he didn't know if he could trust this Snape man yet. He got up from the couch and noticed that his ribs were heavily bandaged, but they no long hurt. Neither did the rest of his body. His bruises were only sore, but considering the amount of pain he was in before, he couldn't complain. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, so he decided to go look for that man.

He took the first hallway to his left, and went into the first room on his right. It looked like some sort of Chemistry lab. As he walked into the room, he noticed a cabin with some weird-colored juices in it. As he turned around, he knocked a flask with an emerald green "juice" in it to the ground, and it crashed. Wanting to get it cleaned up before that man came in the room, Harry hastily took to kneeling down and started picking up the shards of glass with his hands, getting his hands wet with that green "juice." He was so desperate to clean the mess up so that he wouldn't be punished, that many pieces of glass got stuck in his hands, and he started bleeding. That wasn't what he was worried about though. A few seconds after he touched that green juice, he collapsed to the floor and began twitching violently.

**So, what did you think? You know you wanna hit that pretty button…**

**Again, I want to thank everyone who reviews so far. You guys are great and your reviews have really encouraged me to write more. Let me know what you think!**

Next chapter possibilities:

Consequences of that green "juice"

Harry has nightmares

Harry finally learns he is a Wizard

Voldemort returns a little early (because this story just isn't good without Voldemort! Haha)

Voldemort has a little mission for Severus…

**Feel free to toss any of these out…or recommend any particular ones, because I don't know if all of it will fit into one chapter…either way, I want your opinion:)**


	3. Harry's Adventure Begins

**Thanks for the reviews guys! Hopefully this story is going the way you want it to. Well, I don't want to bore you with this author talk, so on with the story! I now present you with Chapter 3 of Shattered Soul.**

**Warning: Rape, abuse, and some very colorful language may be presented.**

**Chapter 3**

Severus Snape returned to Snape Manor feeling quite satisfied with himself. He couldn't believe that he was adopting this boy—his _son_—but he was quite content with this decision. He received quite a surprise, however, when Harry was no longer on the couch. He looked around the living room, in the kitchen, but Harry was no where to be seen.

"Harry? Where are you?" Severus called, hoping the boy didn't go wandering around the house. A scream answered his call, and he immediately broke into a run and went looking for the boy.

It didn't take long to find Harry. Severus ran into his Potions lab and gasped. Harry was lying on the floor, twitching violently, screaming and sobbing unintelligible words, covered in a green potion, and blood. It took a moment before what happened dawned upon Severus. '_No, dear Merlin, please no,'_ he thought. This was the potion he prepared for Lucius Malfoy not too long ago. A substitute for the Cruciatus that makes the victim relive his worst experiences.

Severus cleaned up the mess and picked Harry up. This, as he discovered moments later, was quite the bad idea. Harry thrashed in his arms, kicking and screaming to let him go. Severus quickly put him down and ran to the cupboard where he kept the antidotes. He searched for it clumsily, hoping to dear God that he made one. When he finally found the antidote, he held Harry firmly to the floor and forced him to drink it. Harry didn't comply very well and kicked Severus in the stomach.

"No…please, no, don't make me drink it…please, make it stop," Harry cried.

Severus couldn't give up. He held Harry once more, wishing him to calm down. But now, this was different. Instead of holding Harry down to the ground, he held him closely to his chest, cradling the boy in his arms. Before the boy could say anything, Severus put the flask to Harry's mouth and massaged his throat for the liquid to go through. Harry was only half fighting right now, but when he felt the pain subside, he finally relaxed in Severus's arms.

"Harry…I'm so sorry, I should have never left this out here. I'm so sorry, Harry."

Harry looked up into Severus's eyes, but then recoiled from the touch and backed away from Severus.

"Harry, let me give you something for the pain. You must be hurting," Severus said. He went to his cupboard again and took out a purple potion. When he came back to Harry, however, the boy was already on the far side of the room, trying to make himself as small as possible against the wall.

"N-no, I w-won't let you. It's just going to hurt m-me again," Harry sobbed, looking utterly terrified.

Severus wanted more than anything to pull Harry into an embrace and assure him that he has no intention of ever hurting him. He wanted to explain to him, that Harry wasn't supposed to come in contact with that potion, that it wasn't meant for him. But how was he supposed to tell him that he, himself, had brewed this potion, and that it was actually meant to be used on people?

"Harry, this will do nothing but make you feel better. I promise you it won't hurt you like the other one did. That green potion was not supposed to come in contact with you. You weren't supposed to touch it."

But Harry looked even more terrified at this.

"I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me, I promise I won't touch anything ever again… I didn't mean to, I was looking around and it smashed, I was trying to clean it up! Please, I will be good next time. I promise!" Harry pleaded.

Severus took a step forward. "Boy, I have no intention of hurting you. I only want to help you!"

"That's what he said!" Harry replied, and dashed out of the room. Harry was about to leave Snape Manor, when the doorbell rang. Before Severus could even come to the door, Harry opened it in his haste to run away and ran straight into Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore shot a questioning look at Severus, but knelt on the ground before Harry and smiled at him kindly.

"Harry, dear boy. Please, come inside; I assure you Severus here will not hurt you like your family did. You are safe with him. Both he and I will make sure no one will ever hurt you like that again."

Harry didn't know what it was, but he felt complied to believe that man. The twinkle in those deep blue eyes, the pleasant face, the long, white beard; the man was probably the nicest man Harry had ever met.

When Harry nodded, Dumbledore smiled at him and motioned for him to go inside. Severus sighed in relief. Dumbledore knew just the time to come along.

Harry sat down on the couch, awaiting his punishment. He knew trying to run away wouldn't be tolerated. He just hoped his punishment wouldn't be as bad it would have been at the Dursleys. But the two men in front of him didn't look like they were about to punish him. He was so confused.

Severus spoke first. "Harry, this is Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of the school you will be attending." Both men smiled kindly at him.

"Which school? And whom will I be staying with, Sir?" Harry asked hesitantly. Questions weren't usually welcome at the Dursleys, and he didn't know if they were allowed here.

"You will be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, of course. And you will be staying with me," Severus added and smiled.

Harry smiled back weakly, and he was starting to think that this man really didn't want to hurt him. But then his answer sunk in.

"I'm sorry, Sir. But, did you say Witchcraft and Wizardry? What do you mean?"

Severus looked at Dumbledore, not quite understanding the boy's question. What was there that wasn't clear?

"What he means, Harry, is that you will be going to school to learn magic," Dumbledore said.

"But-but magic isn't real! Uncle Vernon said there is no such thing as magic, and those who believe in it are fools!"

Severus burst out laughing. "What in Merlin's beard are you talking about? Of course there's magic! You're a wizard, Harry!"

"I'm…a what? But…I can't be a wizard! Magic doesn't exist. I know it doesn't!" But then Harry saw the weird outfit Dumbledore had chosen for himself: bright purple robes covered with yellow stars, and a pointy hat. Harry was beginning to think these people had gone mad.

Dumbledore chuckled mildly. "Here, let me prove it to you." And with that, he pulled out his wand and conjured comfy chairs for Severus and himself, out of nowhere. They both sat down on them, and Harry's eyes widened.

"How did you do that? That was amazing! Will I learn how to do that?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Yes, my boy. With time, you will know how to do that, amongst other things as well," Dumbledore said brightly.

But Severus was only just catching on. "Wait a minute. Harry, you said your uncle told you magic doesn't exist? You mean he never told you anything about our world, about your parents? Where they went to school, or how they…died?" Severus asked.

Harry shook his head. "He never mentioned this world before. Though he did get mad when odd stuff happened…like me growing my hair back in one night after Aunt Petunia shaved it all off…they said my parents died in a car crash, but never mentioned them other than that. I wasn't allowed to ask questions," Harry mumbled, but Severus heard him anyway.

Dumbledore was furious. Severus looked livid. Harry didn't understand what all the fuss was about.

But just went Dumbledore was about to say something, Severus gasped in pain and clutched his left arm. He looked up at Dumbledore, who looked quite astonished. Severus searched Dumbledore's face, and when Dumbledore nodded, Severus turned to leave.

"Severus…" Dumbledore began. Severus turned around.

"Yes, Albus?"

"Be careful," was the old man's answer.

Severus nodded once more, and with a snap of his fingers, his robes had changed to different black ones and he was holding a mask in his hand. With a swirl of his robes, he was gone.

Severus Apparated and found himself in Little Hangleton, on the grounds of the Riddle house. He walked inside, and was shocked to see a man of pale skin, with snakelike eyes and slits for a nose. Lord Voldemort. He had thought there was no chance the Dark Lord would come back…he had thought him dead. But next to the Dark Lord, he saw the man he least expected to see. Lucius Malfoy.

"It's been almost ten years since I last saw you, Severus. And yet you do not hesitate to answer my call."

Severus bowed. "My Lord…I am at your service. I always knew you would come back one day. I have tried to find you numerous times…I thought you were dead. Had I known you were still alive, I would have never gone to Albus Dumbledore."

"Ah, Severus. That was a mistake on your part. Those who are not loyal to me suffer greatly. You should know that."

"Master, my loyalty to you has never wavered. All these years, I have been a spy for you. I have nine years of information to provide you with, master. I would never betray your Lordship," Severus said, hoping that his Occlumency hadn't rusted over the years.

Voldemort seemed to be considering this, and Severus felt prodding in his mind. He quickly put up the blank screen and provided Voldemort with false memories and thoughts.

"Very well, Severus. But you should know by now that I do not forgive easily. If I find that you are not being truthful, and rest assured, I will find out…the consequences will not be pleasant."

"Yes, my Lord. Of course."

"Now, Lucius here has already provided me with the potion that brought me back my body. You, however, will have a bit of a larger task to do for me."

"Your wish is my command, my Lord."

"Lucius tells me you have a certain boy currently residing at your house. A boy named Harry Potter?"

"Yes, my Lord. The boy was taken away from his relatives, and I have been given custody of him."

"Very well, Severus. I will want information about the boy, as well as information about that loving old fool. On the night of Halloween, there will be an attack on Hogwarts, in which you will bring Harry Potter to me. For now, report to Dumbledore and tell him you know nothing of what I plan. I will know if you have betrayed me, Severus."

"Yes, my Lord. You are most gracious."

"You may go now, Severus," Voldemort dismissed him.

"Yes, Master," Severus replied, and with another swirl of his robes, he was gone.

Meanwhile…

"Where is Mr. Snape going?" Harry asked, suddenly not wanting the man to leave.

"Ah, don't worry, Harry. He will be back shortly," was Dumbledore's reply, but somehow Harry thought the man didn't look so sure of himself.

"Well, Harry…Seeing as you do not really know anything about our world, allow me to first give you your letter. I will then explain more about our world," Dumbledore smiled encouragingly at him.

Harry took his letter from Dumbledore and began reading. Some of the words didn't quite make sense, but somehow he didn't think it was because of his young reading level.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

_Deputy Headmistress._

Harry's mind was exploding with questions. He didn't know what to ask first

"You will not need to send your answer by owl, which is the normal Wizarding way of communication. I will send your affirmation for you," Dumbledore grinned.

Harry simply nodded, dumbstruck. This seemed to amuse Dumbledore even more.

"Now, I assume Severus will take you to buy your Hogwarts supplies. He will assist you with everything you need. You have your own vault at Gringotts, the wizard bank, but Severus will most likely insist on paying for everything. He can be very stubborn," Dumbledore winked at him.

"Harry, there is something I must warn you about, before you enter our world. About 10 years ago, a man named Lord Voldemort set out to kill you. Lord Voldemort is a shining example of a wizard who went as bad as you can get. He is cruel and merciless, and has a band of followers called Death Eaters. He murders anyone who stands in his path. Around that same time, a prophecy was made about Lord Voldemort. It foretold a person who would be able to defeat Lord Voldemort once and for all. Voldemort took his chances, and marked you as that person. One Halloween night he ventured to your residence to try and kill you. This was at a time where Voldemort was at his height, which simply means that no one stands a chance against him," Dumbledore explained gently.

Harry nodded numbly, not understand where this is going.

"Your parents died that night, trying to protect you. But when Voldemort set to kill you, the only person who might be his downfall, something stopped him that night. Instead, the Killing Curse backfired and hit him instead. No one has seen him ever since. This is why you are famous, Harry. You stopped Lord Voldemort when everyone else had failed."

Harry's eyes widened. "But…how did I do that? I was just a baby! I know absolutely no magic!"

"That is true, Harry, but your most powerful attribute isn't a spell or a curse."

This only confused Harry more. What could be more powerful than magic?

"Love, Harry. Simply that—love."

Before Harry could ask any more questions, however, a loud POP resonated throughout the room and Severus Snape appeared out of nowhere, looking very grim and disappointed.

PLEASE READ:

**Wow. Six pages! Maybe I'll go for ten next time. **

**I really do appreciate your reviews. They encourage me and help me write:) **

**On another note…next chappie possibilities! I know this one didn't exactly develop the plot, but I promise the next chapter will have a lot more to it.**

**We finally hear about Harry's past with the Dursleys…and revenge is in order!**

**Severus and Harry get to know each other better…**

**School starts!**

**Make a girl happy and review…pretty please? I will love you forever and ever and ever!**


	4. Cockroaches

**Chapter 4**

Harry was so very confused. He didn't understand what everyone was fussing about. There was a group of people he did not know in Snape Manor, all discussing possible options concerning the war, but Harry wasn't allowed in the meeting. He sat on the couch in the living room, pondering the events of the day.

He had finally gotten what he had always dreamed of—someone taking him away from the Dursleys. He won't get hit anymore.

But then it struck him: what if this is all a lie? What if this Snape person is just telling him lies so that he will trust him, but the second he lets his guard off Snape will use it against him? And sure, Dumbledore seems nice…but what if this is all some game to them? He couldn't risk it.

Now that he wasn't at the Dursleys' mercy, he felt a little braver than he actually was. He decided that he will run away while the others are still in the meeting; it was his only chance to escape whatever these people had in mind for him.

Where would he go? He didn't know anyone in this world…his only option would be going back to the 'Muggle' world, as these people called it. There was only one problem; he wasn't even allowed to cross the street without an adult. Not that the Dursleys cared whether or not he got himself run over by a car, but that's what he learned at school so he figured that's how it is.

He decided that somehow he would get to Mrs. Figg, the Dursleys' neighbor. Though he didn't like her house much, she was always nice to him. He would tell her that he can't go back to the Dursleys and he would stay with her until he finds another family to live with. Anything is better than the Dursleys. He had no choice.

Determined not to get caught, he tiptoed all the way to the door and opened it as quietly as he could. Unfortunately, it creaked.

He waited another minute and saw that no one heard him. He managed to barely slip out the door when he heard his name being called.

"Harry Potter, what in Merlin's Beard are you trying to do?" said the voice Harry knew to be Snape.

"Nothing, Sir," Harry replied, coming back into the Manor and closing the door behind him.

"Wouldn't be running away, would you?" Snape smirked.

"N-no sir, of course not sir. I...I was just going outside for a walk, that's all. I won't do it again, sir. Please, don't be mad at me," Harry begged, almost pleaded.

"Harry, I am not mad at you. Just make sure you tell me next time you want to leave the manor." Severus was surprised to see how frightened the boy was, when he hadn't even done anything to alert the boy. He hadn't even scolded the boy for it, and the boy was already terrified. This wasn't going to be an easy year.

"Yes, sir. I promise I'll be good."

Severus surveyed Harry for a moment, but decided to have a talk with the boy later. It wouldn't do to discuss this when all these people were around.

"Harry, would you like me to make you some dinner? You must be starving."

Harry looked at the man, and wondered again if this was some kind of act. He shook his head no.

"No? Harry, you are far too thin. When was the last time you had a decent meal?"

"The Dursleys fed me, sir," Harry mumbled.

Severus raised one eyebrow. "Really? And what exactly did those muggles give you to eat?" he implored.

"A…a piece of bread…and sometimes water...they never starved me for a really long time. Only if I was really bad, then they would punish me."

"That is what you ate three times a day?"

"No sir, just in the morning," Harry replied innocently.

"You ate one "meal" a day? No wonder you look like skin and bones! Come, I am making you something to eat," Snape said furiously.

"Sir, please don't be mad at me! I promise I won't do it again!" Harry cried.

"Harry," Severus said, moving closer to the boy, oblivious to the fact that Harry was backing away from him, "it is not you I am mad at. I am mad at your relatives, for treating you that way. No one deserves that kind of treatment."

"But…Sir, what did they do wrong?"

"What didn't they do wrong? Harry, what did they do right? It's not right to starve human beings. And family nonetheless! It's simply not heard of in the Wizarding World. And…well, you were in quite an awful state when I found you, Harry. It is wrong to abuse others, too," Severus explained, hoping that Harry would understand this.

"But, Sir…they didn't do anything wrong. I'm a worthless freak; I'm not worth their trouble. I was lucky I received meals at all, because I definitely do not deserve them. They fed me and gave me clothes and put a roof over my head, and I should be grateful for it. I shouldn't complain. It's very bad to complain," Harry explained, his eyes staring in a vague direction. Severus couldn't help but ponder those haunted green eyes and hope that one day, Harry would get better.

"Harry, you must believe me when I say this-none of that is true. You are not a worthless freak. You do deserve meals, just like any other person. And they might have given you clothes, but they were hand-me-downs and a cupboard; meaning, less than you deserve. You are worth so much more than that, and it's important that you understand that.

Harry nodded silently, but Severus could tell that Harry wasn't taking in anything that he was saying. It took years to drill that information into his head, and it's going to take a very long time until Harry will think differently.

That night, Harry woke up several times thrashing in his new bed. Every time, however, Severus was there to soothe him.

After the fifth time of Harry waking up crying, Severus decided that it was time for another dreamless sleep potion.

"Harry, drink this. It will help you sleep."

"I don't want to…please don't make me," Harry cried. He was still dreaming.

"Harry, wake up. If you drink this you won't have any nightmares," Severus tried to convince him.

"You're lying! You just want me to drink that so that you can…no! I won't drink it!" Harry screamed.

Severus was terrified. What have they done to his Harry?

Oh boy. He was getting all mushy again. Severus wasn't fond of these moments, but he decided that it was time to get over his pride and do something nice. He embraced Harry and held him.

Harry slowly calmed down. He drank the potion, but after several seconds he realized what he was doing and shuddered. He then backed away from Severus and snuggled into the corner of the bed, curling into a ball.

The next day, Harry woke up feeling fresh and awake. He did not remember anything from the night before, besides that he had the best sleep of his life.

After breakfast, Severus decided that it was time Harry and he had a talk.

"Harry…what were you dreaming about last night?" Severus asked, already knowing the answer.

"I don't know, Sir. I don't remember."

"Would you mind if I used Legilimency on you and looked? I want to help you heal, but I can't do that until I know what is bothering you." He didn't want to reveal that he already knew what had happened to the boy.

"Used who? To do what?" Harry asked, confused.

"I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you are new to our world. Legilimency is a type of spell that allows me to wander into your mind and examine your thoughts. If I am not mistaken, dreams can be examined as well."

"Will it hurt?"

"Harry, I will never do anything to hurt you. I know you cannot allow yourself to trust me right now, but with time you will learn that my only intention is to care for you." Ah, he hated being all gushy with people. He knew that he needed to be gentle, however, or else Harry would react violently.

"Um, I guess that's ok. I don't remember what I was dreaming about, so you could tell me. I never remember my dreams," Harry answered cautiously. He wasn't sure whether he could allow a stranger to just wander into his mind. He barely believed it to be possible, as a matter of fact.

Snape pondered at that, but when he entered Harry's mind, he wished he had never done so.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore paid a visit to the Dursley's residence. Petunia Dursley opened the door, but when she saw whom stood at her doorway, she slammed the door shut. Dumbledore, however, was too quick for her, and he put he foot behind the door.

"My, my, Petunia, you sure want me out of your house. Don't worry, I won't take long."

Mrs. Dursley, knowing that she will not be able to keep Dumbledore out, opened the door and allowed him to come in.

Dumbledore headed straight for the living room and sat down. Petunia followed him.

"I will cut straight to the chase, Petunia. You have failed me. You have failed Harry. I trusted you to take care of him, and you ruined him."

"I did no such thing! I gave him his own room! I gave him clothes! I fed him! I did everything you asked me to do!"

"You may have given him those things, with the bare minimum kept in mind, but you failed to do one thing: actually give a damn about this boy!" Dumbledore growled. You are a disgrace to our world. And mark my word; I will make you pay for the damage done to my child!" Dumbledore yelled furiously.

Vernon and Dudley Dursley ran into the living room after hearing the yelling. Dumbledore, however, decided that he could not wait for punishment. He needed immediate satisfaction. With a muttered spell and a charm to make his magic untraceable, he turned the Dursleys into the cockroaches they really are, and Apparated away from Privet Drive.

**Short Chappie! Sorry about the year-long wait, I had computer issues and then got really busy with school. But now it's summer and I have all the time in the world to update!!! Next chapter—Harry's dreams are revealed; Voldemort has a plan, and he refuses to fail…update within two weeks! Half the chapter is already written, and it's five pages long******

**Please review! I probably don't deserve any reviews due to the long wait, but I would really appreciate them!**


	5. Nightmares

Chapter 5

_Vernon Dursley was furious. The spoiled little brat he was forced to call his nephew was being his usual insolent self. Can't reach the rubbish. There are dishes to be washed! Either way, he will learn his lesson._

_Harry was sitting in his cupboard, fearing the next few minutes. Aunt Petunia simply slapped him and let him go after seeing that he was struggling with the dishes, but Uncle Vernon looked mad. Harry went to his "room" and hoped for the best._

_Unfortunately, when Vernon Dursley gets mad, he really gets pissed off and it's hard to calm him down._

"_Boy! Come out here!" he yelled._

_Harry stepped out of the cupboard, staring at the floor._

"_Why didn't you do the dishes?"_

"_I couldn't reach the sink, sir. It was too high," said the five-year-old Harry._

"_GET A CHAIR, THEN!" burst Vernon._

_Harry was still staring at the floor. _

"_That's it. I've had it with you," said Vernon Dursley. _

_That night, Harry received the worst spanking he had ever gotten._

_Harry was drawing in his cupboard when a drunk Uncle Vernon came home to an otherwise empty house._

"_What is this ugly little thing? It looks like complete rubbish to me! I always knew you had no talent in you," said Vernon._

_Harry said that it was a witch. Vernon didn't seem to like that answer._

_Harry spent the next half an hour getting whipped with his uncle's belt._

Severus was experiencing Harry's nightmares firsthand. Harry's dreams were so intense and horrifying for his own mind that his mind projected his dreams to the whole room. Severus was horrified as one dream after another projected itself upon the room and Severus had to stand watching. Harry meanwhile was screaming in the background, as though he was experiencing the pain all over again.

Severus knew that the dream he feared the most was coming up. He did not want to see his own son get raped.

Apparently it wasn't Vernon Dursley who had done it. It was one of Dursley's colleagues, a man named Jim Muckraker. Harry was sobbing as he struggled against Severus who was trying to calm him down. It was impossible.

Severus decided that enough was enough. He grabbed a calming drought and a dreamless-sleep potion and gave them both to his son. After Harry had calmed down, Severus tucked him in and kissed his forehead. Severus decided he would sleep on the sofa that night, just to make sure Harry was safe.

The experience was horrifying. An intense surge of revenge burned through Severus every time his mind played Harry's dream over again. He would talk to Harry about it tomorrow.

When Harry woke up that morning he felt exhausted, as though he had gotten no sleep whatsoever. Last night's nightmares haunted him, but he shook his head and got out of bed. Severus was still asleep on the sofa. He wished he wouldn't have to talk about last night…he hoped he didn't disturb him. Although, now that he thought of it…if Severus was on the sofa instead of in his own room, Harry's nightmares were probably heard throughout the whole manor.

He couldn't believe the trouble he was causing. He had probably woken up his father in the middle of the night because of his stupid nightmares…

And then a flashback of his last nightmare rushed to his head, reminding him of that horrible friend of Uncle Vernon…and he couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't handle the pain, the memories… it was just too much for him.

He went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, running to the bathroom and locking the door behind him.

_I'm not worth the trouble…I can't take this anymore…I'm a burden on everyone…I'm a stupid, worthless brat who doesn't deserve anyone to care about him…_

And as these thoughts kept running through his head, he ran the knife over his wrists. It felt good as the blood oozed down his hands. He cut again and again, until he felt dizzy. He was so ready for everything to end, to not feel any pain, to just forget about everything….but then an alarm sounded throughout the house.

Severus awoke with a start. He had set an alarm around the house in case Harry tried to hurt himself, but he did not expect it to go off so soon. He noticed that Harry wasn't in his bed anymore. He ran all around the house trying to locate Harry, when finally he came to a locked bathroom downstairs.

"Alohamora," he whispered. As the door opened, he looked around and saw Harry on the floor, drenched in his own blood. Harry looked at him, with a small frown on his face, and passed out on the floor. Severus caught him just in time.

"Contra Sectumsempra!" Snape said with a tint of fear in his voice, and slowly Harry's wounds stopped bleeding. He bandaged Harry's wrist and carried him back to his bed.

He could understand why Harry had done it. He had been in the same position years ago. But he still wished that Harry would have came to him for help. He then realized that it was too early for Harry to trust him.

He decided that he would ask Harry about his nightmares another day…he had a more serious talk to have with him today.

When Harry woke up Severus was sitting by his bed, staring at him.

"How are you feeling?" Severus asked gently.

"I'm fine…I'm sorry," Harry whispered.

"Why did you do it?"

"I just…I don't know. I needed to."

"Was it because of your nightmares?"

Harry nodded, raising his knees up to his head and curling into a ball.

"Please, Harry, if you ever have thoughts of doing this again, come to me. I can help you."

Harry nodded again, but Severus had a feeling that he did not actually intend to do so.

"Harry, I need to talk…" Severus started, but then stopped mid-sentence. His left arm burned, and he knew exactly why.


End file.
